The Senate Budget Committee, which had not been scheduled to meet, will have a special called session to take up the measure, which many had considered dead in that half of the Legislature. Sen. David Simmons, whose Pre-K-12 appropriations committee narrowly passed the item on Tuesday, told the Gradebook that he had looked into alleged rules violations in that vote and found that the committee followed the Senate's guidelines, paving the way for the next stop.

From the Florida Charter School Alliance: "Tell Your Senator to Vote YES on the Parent Empowerment Act. Next week -- the last week of Florida's legislative session -- the Senate will vote on the Parent Empowerment Act, which would give Florida parents meaningful information and real options when it comes their child’s education. We need parents, teachers and concerned citizens around the state to speak out in support of this bill."

From Fund Education Now: "We need you to take action right now. In a surprise move, the so-called "Parent Empowerment Act”/SB 1718 did not get enough votes today to move to the floor for a full vote. Now there's a full-court press to pass this bill at all costs. It's up to us to say no."

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.